Physicians have become increasingly willing to perform interventional and therapeutic endoscopic procedures including, for example, full thickness removal of large tissue lesions such as cancer, tunneling under the mucosal layer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or respiratory system to treat submucosal tissues, repair of post-surgical complications (e.g., post-surgical leaks, breakdowns of surgical staple lines and/or anastomotic leaks), thoracic surgery and airway/pleural space procedures. Specialized tools may be used to allow the physician to perform these complex procedures faster and easier. A common way to incorporate these specialized tools onto the distal end of the endoscope is through the use of endoscopic hoods or caps. The fully circumferential design of currently available endoscopic hoods tends to hinder visualization of the target tissue and provide little working space for multiple tools to operate simultaneously. Although double-channel endoscopes may be available at some medical facilities, the individually articulating tools within each channel tend to be ergonomically difficult to control, especially by a single physician.